Texas A&M vs. Kentucky: Game Thread

[Joneslab]

Stats through first 14 games of UK careers.

Doron Lamb: 14 points per game, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 6 total steals, 30-57 from three (53%)
Tyler Herro: 14 points per game, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 17 total steals, 26-77 from three (34%)

[Joneslab]

Here's probably my biggest complaint and others probably feel the same way but won't admit it. We watched a team over the summer play great and most of us all had it in our heads this team would come in and dominate college basketball this year, that didn't happen. The Duke loss cut alot of us deep to the bone, not just the loss but the way it happened and the score and margin. Probably be best for alot of fans including myself to take the attitude that a win is a win, even if it's against a A&M team that isn't that good, just get the W and move on, if we looking for style points and big dominating margins of victory, that aint happening with this group.....

You won't see them having those dominating margin of victories unless they guard for 40 minutes.

Now if they played a team like Georgia the way they did against North Carolina, you might see a 25-point win. But until then we'll get this inconsistency that Lighthouse mentioned above.

You can't play the game at a high level if you defend like this team does. It's the same thing that ailed the 2014 team. That team could stay in front of no one. This team is probably worse at closing out on three-point shooters and that will always keep teams close.

[J.Jennings]

Stats through first 14 games of UK careers.

Doron Lamb: 14 points per game, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 6 total steals, 30-57 from three (53%)
Tyler Herro: 14 points per game, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 17 total steals, 26-77 from three (34%)

I not so much mad about the 2 and 3 spot play as i am the post play, i don't trust Reid or PJ down there on either end to be honest about it.

As for Herro, of course i like Herro. I still think our star player miss is not at the 2 or 3, it's about the Post or Point. Having a scoring point guard to put pressure on another team or a post player who can score at anytime makes it helluva lot easier for players like Herro and Johnson.....

I will says this about Hagans, right now he can't shoot but i think eventually he will be able too. His shot doesn't look horrible, he hits his freethrows, i think down the road he can be okay, maybe not at Kentucky but on down the road.

[J.Jennings]

You won't see them having those dominating margin of victories unless they guard for 40 minutes.

Now if they played a team like Georgia the way they did against North Carolina, you might see a 25-point win. But until then we'll get this inconsistency that Lighthouse mentioned above.

You can't play the game at a high level if you defend like this team does. It's the same thing that ailed the 2014 team. That team could stay in front of no one. This team is probably worse at closing out on three-point shooters and that will always keep teams close.

I agree about the defense, we have to have it. Someone also pointed out we play better when running, not slow it down grind it out Cal style, Cal may need to look at that...

[J.Jennings]

Here's a positive about last night. We came out flat and was getting kicked, we responded. We built a good lead then let them back in it then we responded again, is this just the product of a still fairly young team??

[Joneslab]

I will says this about Hagans, right now he can't shoot but i think eventually he will be able too. His shot doesn't look horrible, he hits his freethrows, i think down the road he can be okay, maybe not at Kentucky but on down the road.

I'm dubious that he'll ever find a shot but I felt the same way about Fox. By the very end you couldn't leave Fox open from about 15 feet, and he was so fast he could get that shot any time he wanted it.

But it took Fox almost until the SEC Tournament to get there. I'm not sure if Hagans can add that shot, but all he has to do is hit it a couple of times a game and it changes everything.

Mainly though he just has to keep playing his game and finish a little more at the rim. The last three or four games he has played at a truly elite level. If that's who he is then I think you'll have teams giving him a hard look very early in the draft. He is absolutely electric.

[Jload]

Just watched the game on tape, more of the same boring uninspired CRAP basketball we have been getting for the last 2 years. Another year of holding our nose till March and hope and pray the team makes a run. Apparently performing at a high level and playing great basketball during the regular season is no longer a necessity for the coach, team or most of its fans. Also I will ask for the millionth time What IS the Kentucky offense. As for the defense I don’t need anybody to tell me what it is it’s no n existent

[Joneslab]

Regarding the offense:

Kentucky looks like they're still running a lot of random. There's some actions but most of the time they look like they're just trying to set Johnson up for the drive or running Herro off brush screens. Easy stuff. I imagine what Calipari is trying to do there is simplify it so that Hagans can just go out there and play without having to worry about getting into too many sets. It's obviously not been perfect but I did notice that Pomeroy has us in the top 15 in the country in offensive efficiency. The offense isn't the problem.

However, the last two games we've done A LOT of just coming down and pounding the ball in to Travis. I think the coaching staff sees him going through a funk and they're trying to feed him. If Travis is clanking shots that makes things look REALLY ugly. But in fairness to the coaching staff I think they understand that this team goes nowhere without Travis and if he is going well, he's an extremely difficult player to stop.

[teamchemistry15]

Until he has to check small fowards Like Lebron or Kd, Tatum. How many SF has Syracuse put out over the years that looked really good in college but flopped?

Anyways, this isn't anti Keldo, i like him and hope he does very well, still hit or miss what type of career he can have, he's just not freakish special or doesn't do one thing absolutely great in my opinion..

As for Washington, i think he will be in and out of the league alot sooner than later, just my opinion, his length will be his downfall..

....

What we need to realize is what they do in the pros doesn't mean a darn thing to our success now. It doesn't matter what kind of career they will or won't have in the pros. What matters is what kind of career they have at UK. You're telling me you don't want another Terrance Jones because he didn't stick around in the NBA very long? No more guys like Ulis? No more Darius Miller's? Them having a successful career (most of the time it's one season) at UK is really what we all want.

[Dwight Schrute]

What we need to realize is what they do in the pros doesn't mean a darn thing to our success now. It doesn't matter what kind of career they will or won't have in the pros. What matters is what kind of career they have at UK. You're telling me you don't want another Terrance Jones because he didn't stick around in the NBA very long? No more guys like Ulis? No more Darius Miller's? Them having a successful career (most of the time it's one season) at UK is really what we all want.

Agree with this wholeheartedly. I don't care what they do in the pros. I wish them well and hope they have successful careers, but at the end of the day I don't care.

[J.Jennings]

What we need to realize is what they do in the pros doesn't mean a darn thing to our success now. It doesn't matter what kind of career they will or won't have in the pros. What matters is what kind of career they have at UK. You're telling me you don't want another Terrance Jones because he didn't stick around in the NBA very long? No more guys like Ulis? No more Darius Miller's? Them having a successful career (most of the time it's one season) at UK is really what we all want.

Well the problem with that is by the time THEY GET IT the season is over we get knocked out of the tournament and they are gone, so we really never get to see them seasoned. You mention Jones, Ulis, and Miller but guess what, they played more than 1 year at Kentucky and came back better and knew what to expect the second time around and it BENEFITED KENTUCKY BASKETBALL, this one and done don't always benefit us because most of the time,we have to watch about 85% of the season with a team playing up and down JUNK basketball and hope with our fingers crossed praying to the basketball Gods our team shows up to play in March..

[J.Jennings]

Agree with this wholeheartedly. I don't care what they do in the pros. I wish them well and hope they have successful careers, but at the end of the day I don't care.

Yes and no, i also don't want to have to hear about players leaving to become millionaires knowing good and well they not ready, that happens a whole lot too...

[KCKUKFan]

Getting somewhat lost in the shuffle is that Ashton Hagans has become arguably our best player.

[Catsrock]

Stats through first 14 games of UK careers.

Doron Lamb: 14 points per game, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 6 total steals, 30-57 from three (53%)
Tyler Herro: 14 points per game, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 17 total steals, 26-77 from three (34%)

This doesn't make Herro look better or worse than Doron--just an entirely different type 2 guard. Lambs 53% 3-pt shooting right out of the gate was exactly what his team needed from him--dead-eye sniper. We need Herro to be more than a 3 pt shooter on this team. But the 51 missed 3's have hurt considerably. And when I watch him shoot 3's it looks like he is an incredible shooter when he goes straight up. If he's drifting right he misses right. If he's drifting left--which is less often--he misses left. The potential game winner against Alabama--body going in toward basket--hits back iron. He can make floaters in the lane but has to go straight up from deep. As probably everyone should.

[85 Fly]

I'm dubious that he'll ever find a shot but I felt the same way about Fox. By the very end you couldn't leave Fox open from about 15 feet, and he was so fast he could get that shot any time he wanted it.

But it took Fox almost until the SEC Tournament to get there. I'm not sure if Hagans can add that shot, but all he has to do is hit it a couple of times a game and it changes everything.

Mainly though he just has to keep playing his game and finish a little more at the rim. The last three or four games he has played at a truly elite level. If that's who he is then I think you'll have teams giving him a hard look very early in the draft. He is absolutely electric.

I get you're trying to push the positives about Hagans but unless some miracle happens offensively, he is Briscoe 2.0. Luv his fight, and defense but some players no matter how hard they work offensively, when they hit the college level their offensive game (they were the man in HS!!!) does not translate. I never felt that way about Fox, I actually saw his potential to get down a shot.

Happy to get a win yesterday! And like I said Bama turned right around and lost (to LSU)... and MSU lost! Hey, we just need some more conference teams to fall while we continue to improve.